In an article published on Sunday (Dec.3) in the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo, former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso said that in the name of its identity PSDB (his Social Democratic Party) can detach from the government (Michel Temer) that it helped to form, but without abdicating its proposals. He also said that the party should vote for the reforms agenda.

Fernando Henrique, as he is popularly known in Brazil, said that although there were legal reasons, it was the lack of control of the economy that ultimately caused President Rousseff’s impeachment, as it hit and irritated the people and led the Congress to act.

The former president also said that it was to get out of the impasse and resume economic growth that the Temer government obtained support from various political forces. Despite everything, even the moral crisis, Brazil started to grow again: the government enabled the exploration of the pre-salt, with the financial and moral recovery of Petrobras. Among advances in other areas, the governemnt contained spending within the limits of the Budget and possibilities of indebtedness of State.

“There is no reason for the PSDB to disavow the support it gave to the transitional government, and the party should vote for the reforms agenda that is its own. In the case of Social Security, nothing justifies maintaining corporate advantages or privileges”, said Fernando Henrique.

“It is in the name of his identity that the PSDB can detach itself from the government that helped to form, but without abdicating its proposals. It is legitimate for a party to choose from among its cadres whom, incidentally, is best suited to be its presidential candidate and strive to achieve it. Without “hegemonisms”, because in a country as diverse as Brazil every party needs allies with whom to share power and beliefs, which does not imply blind submission or the demoralization of republican institutions”, concluded him.